For those that were thinking of buying sometime soon, it might be worth waiting a lil longer...
Quote: What I can say is the announcement of a 80GB unit gives credence to earlier rumours that a new PS3 SKU is on its way to Australia. Not that storage is an exciting commodity, with the average cost per GB of a 500GB HDD coming in at 20c.
There's also the strong possibility the 80GB will replace the 40GB. If the 80GB comes in at the same price as the 40GB in the US, and the 40GB isn't replaced locally or given a price cut... well, I'd be more than a bit upset with Sony, given the massive difference in US/AU RRPs already.
Update: Looks like Sony was too busy talking to Gamespot. It has confirmation the 80GB is coming to Australia, though there are no details on pricing. Thanks Luke P.
it really makes no big difference to people like us (ie guys with some technical knowledge)
the size of the hard drive is the only factor to wow the end user into thinking "oooh more space better value"
its the same price, same specs from what i see. if you need a ps3 now, get one now. if you want one later, get one later. then when the space of the hard drive fills up, upgrade it as you see fit.
No, the new PS3's (80GB SKU) will NOT have the PS2 backward compatability, just will accommodate a larger hard drive ... for those people who dont know how to go about changing hard drives.
I still dont see the hype, As Maestro pointed out, just upgrade the hard drive when you're ready and shoot for a model with PS2 backwards compatibility.
Imo, optimistically, the best option is still a second-hand 60GB unit - then upgrade the HDD yourself and buy a Dual Shock 3 seperately.
As far as buying it new goes though, this package is clearly a better option than the last. Twice the HDD capacity and a better controller.
On that note, 60GB 360's (up from 20GB) are now hitting stores around Australia for the same cost ($499). Hopefully they bundle the 20GB drives in with the "Arcade" units soon ($349, but have no HDD right now).